Chapter 11: You Can Go, But the Chances of Being Selected Are Slim

At this point, the game entered a tense phase. The Catbird team intensified their outside shooting, and their top scorer, Mark Davis, was in excellent form, sinking two consecutive three-pointers. Meanwhile, the Seaweed team’s power forward, Bill Youngel, struggled, missing several shots in a row as the point difference gradually narrowed.

Commentator Pavel Hanks remarked, “Without Tang, the Seaweed team likely won’t make it past the second round; they’re simply no match for the Catbirds.”

“Smack!” Just as he finished speaking, Tang Bei soared from under the basket to the arc and delivered a massive block against the Catbirds’ top scorer, Mark Davis.

However, Tang lacked tactical understanding and had poor timing in his help defense, resulting in only average support. While he did well focusing on Mark Davis, his help defense for other Catbird players, especially on the weak side, was inadequate, making it difficult to cover all fronts.

The Catbirds adjusted, enhancing coordination between strong and weak sides, using passing to tear apart the Seaweed defense and simultaneously drawing Tang Bei away.

With two minutes left in the first quarter, the score stood at 20-19, Seaweed holding a narrow one-point lead.

Tang Bei shot 7-for-6 from the field, 7-for-2 from the free-throw line, scoring 14 points and grabbing 5 rebounds in the quarter alone — accounting for 70% of his team’s points.

Yet, as a rookie, he committed three turnovers and two fouls under double-team pressure, exhausting himself to the point of being substituted out.

Steve Patterson continued to criticize Tang Bei: “His free throws are terrible, and he hasn’t recorded a single assist.”

Bernie Bickstaff retorted, “The opposition is too weak; Tang’s low-post offense comes too easily. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have such a high shooting percentage.”

After Tang’s exit, the Catbirds immediately took control, launching a furious interior attack that not only tied the game but pushed them ahead by three points within two minutes.

Eric Fleischer glanced at Catbird head coach Philip Sanders, impressed by his tactical prowess, considering whether to recruit him and perhaps even bring him to the NBA.

“We’ll play it this way: double-team that Chinese player to drain his stamina, while using outside shooting and fouling tactics to keep the score tight.”

“At most, his endurance will hold for three quarters, maybe only two, and then the game will be ours.”

“Also, he’s already committed two fouls; we can try attacking from the outside to weaken his defensive intensity.”

“Keep locking down the point guard position; never let that Chinese player get the ball easily under the basket.”

Under Philip Sanders’ guidance, the Catbirds, playing at home, not only stayed close but gradually stretched the lead.

By halftime, the Seaweed team trailed by seven points.

Tang Bei played ten minutes in the second quarter, shooting a perfect 4-for-4 and 1-for-4 from the free-throw line, scoring 9 points with 3 rebounds, but also committing two turnovers and two fouls, including an offensive foul.

As the home team’s rookie, the referees were strict with him, blowing the whistle for even slightly aggressive moves. The offensive foul came after he backed down an opponent and knocked him over.

At this point, Seaweed’s morale dipped, while the home Catbirds’ spirits visibly lifted.

However, a Catbird backup center was injured during a fierce battle with Tang Bei, giving Philip Sanders an uneasy feeling.

In the third quarter, exhausted and burdened with fouls, Tang Bei had to reduce his defensive effort, leading to a sharp decline in Seaweed’s defensive intensity.

On offense, fatigue and the double-team tactic caused numerous turnovers.

Lacking tactical knowledge, experience, and skill, Tang often failed to spot teammates’ opportunities when handling the ball.

Unable to get close to the basket, he sometimes resorted to wild shots, made passing errors in the heat of the moment, and was called for two offensive three-second violations.

The rest of the Seaweed team performed even worse, allowing the Catbirds to continue extending their lead, which reached 15 points by the end of the third quarter.

Though Philip Sanders was pleased with his tactic’s success, he grew increasingly concerned about how long his interior players could withstand Tang Bei’s physicality.

Beyond the foul trouble, the Catbirds’ interior players were too light in weight and far less physical than Tang. Even if they won this game, the upcoming series looked grim.

But he had no choice but to take it step by step and focus on securing Game 1.

In the final quarter, Tang’s stamina was depleted, forcing him to further reduce defensive effort while summoning his remaining strength to attack the basket.

Four minutes into the last quarter, Tang fouled out with six fouls. The Seaweed team immediately collapsed, suffering a heavy 24-point defeat in Game 1.

“Damn it!” Tang felt deeply frustrated—dominating individually yet losing the game—but he was powerless to change the outcome.

After the game, commentator Pavel Hanks reported: “Tang played 32 minutes, shooting 14-for-20 with a 70% field goal percentage, but only 6-for-20 on free throws, a 30% rate. He scored 34 points with 16 rebounds, 1 assist, 5 blocks, 1 steal, but also 8 turnovers and 6 fouls.”

Jalen Jaros commented, “His individual performance was powerful, but limited to low-post offense, resulting in massive stamina consumption and unsustainable impact.”

“Moreover, he’s a double-edged sword. With so many turnovers, fouls, and five violations, he lost too many possessions. This rookie trait proved fatal and was a key reason for Seaweed’s defeat.”

Pavel Hanks added, “Tang’s tactical skills are almost nonexistent. He can’t integrate into the system or elevate his teammates. On offense, it’s basically one against five—the other four just watch him play.”

Jalen Jaros remarked, “From Game 1, the Catbirds clearly have superior overall strength, especially with championship coach Philip Sanders. On paper, they remain the stronger team.”

He cautioned, “However, the Catbirds must beware of excessive fouls among their interior players today.”

“This is a home game, so calls favored the home team. On the road, overusing foul tactics could backfire.”

“Also, how many games their interior players can endure such intense contact is crucial to deciding the championship.”

“The Catbirds already have one injured big man. They must ensure enough healthy interior players, but that looks difficult. Tang can physically dominate more than one healthy opponent per game.”

Pavel Hanks observed, “Indeed, if too many interior players get injured or fouled out, the Catbirds will have no one inside.”

Jalen Jaros nodded, “Also, Catbirds’ top scorer Mark Davis was outstanding, scoring 36 points with six three-pointers.”

“He was key to their victory. I even believe he deserves to join the NBA. I recommend he enter the NBA draft.”

Pavel Hanks quickly shook his head. “He could go, but the chances of being drafted are slim.”